mreilly.icestation- 第43节

　
　NO。　OF　ENTRIES　FOUND：　6　
　TITLE　
　AUTHOR　
　LOCATION　
　YEAR　
　DOCTORAL　THESIS　
　LLEWELLYN；　D。　K。　
　STAMFORD；　CT　
　1998　
　DOCTORAL　THESIS　
　AUSTIN；　B。K。　
　STAMFORD；　CT　
　1997　
　POSTDOCTORAL　THESIS　
　HENSLEIGH；　S。　T。　
　USC；　CA　
　1997　
　FELLOWSHIP　GRANT　RESEARCH　PAPER　
　HENSLEIGH；　B。　M。　
　HARVARD；　MA　
　1996　
　THE　ICE　CRUSADE：　REFLECTIONS　ON　A　YEAR　SPENT　IN　ANTARCTICA　
　HENSLEIGH；　B。　M。　
　HARVARD；　MA　
　1995　AVAIL：　AML　
　PRELIMINARY　SURVEY　
　WAITZKIN；　C。　M。　
　LIBCONG　
　1978　
　
　Alison　stared　at　the　list。　
　Every　one　of　these　entries；　in　some　way　or　another；　mentioned　latitude　minus　66。5　degrees　and　longitude　115　degrees；　20　minutes；　and　12　seconds。　
　They　were　mainly　university　papers。　None　of　the　names　meant　anything　to　Alison：　Llewellyn；　Austin；　and　the　two　Hensleighs；　S　and　B。　
　It　looked　like　the　latter　Hensleigh…B。　M。　Hensleigh…had　written　a　book　on　Antarctica。　Alison　looked　at　its　location　reference。　It　had　been　printed　at　Harvard　University；　but　it　was　available　at　AML…all　major　libraries。　Unlike　all　of　the　other　entries…a　collection　of　single…issue　privately　published　theses…this　Hensleigh　guy's　book　was　videly　available。　Alison　decided　she'd　check　it　out。　
　There　was；　however；　one　other　entry　that　caught　her　attention。　
　The　last　one。　
　
　PRELIMINARY　SURVEYWAITZKIN；　C。　M。LIBCONG1978　
　
　Alison　frowned　at　the　final　entry。　She　checked　a　quick　reference　list　that　was　affixed　to　the　side　of　the　puter　monitor。　It　was　a　list　of　all　of　the　abbreviations　used　in　the　database。　Alison　found　〃LibCong。〃　
　〃Aha；〃　she　said　aloud。　
　LibCong　stood　for　the　Library　of　Congress。　The　Library　of　Congress　was　situated　across　the　road　from　the　Capitol　Building；　not　far　from　Alison's　office。　
　Alison　looked　at　the　final　entry　again。　She　wondered　what　a　preliminary　survey　was。　She　looked　at　the　date　of　the　entry。　
　1978。　
　Well；　whatever　it　was；　it　was　over　twenty　years　old；　so　it　was　worth　checking　out。　
　Alison　smiled　as　she　hit　the　button　marked：　PRINT　SCREEN。　
　
　
　
　〃All　right！　Hoist　her　up！〃　Book　called。　
　Rebound　and　Snake　pulled　on　the　stabilizing　cables；　and　Wilkes　Ice　Station's　battered　radio　antenna…a　long　black　pole　thirty　feet　high；　with　a…blinking　green　beacon　light　at　its　tip…rose　slowly　into　the　air。　The　intermittent　flash…flash　of　the　green　beacon　light　illuminated　all　of　their　faces。　
　〃How　long　do　you　think　it　will　take？〃　Schofield　asked　Book；　yelling　above　the　wind。　
　〃It　won't　take　us　long　to　hoist　it　up；　that's　the　easy　part；〃　Book　replied。　〃The　hard　part　will　be　reconnecting　all　the　radio　wiring。　We've　got　the　power　going　again；　but　there's　still　another　fifteen　or　so　radio　wires　to　solder　back　together。〃　
　〃Ballpark？〃　
　〃Thirty　minutes。〃　
　〃Get　to　it。〃　
　Shane　Schofield　trudged　back　down　the　entrance　ramp　of　the　station　and　headed　inside。　He　had　e　back　inside　to　check　on　two　things：　Abby　Sinclair　and　Mother。　
　Abby　met　him　on　the　A…deck　catwalk。　While　Schofield　and　the　others　had　been　outside；　she　had　been　in　the　radio　room　looking　at　weather　maps　on　the　puter；　trying　to　find　a　break　in　the　solar　flare。　
　〃Any　luck？〃　Schofield　asked。　
　〃Depends　on　what　you　mean　by　luck；〃　Abby　said。　〃How　soon　did　you　want　it？〃　
　〃Soon。〃　
　〃Then　I'm　afraid　it's　not　that　good；〃　she　said。　〃By　my　calculations；　a　break　in　the　solar　flare　will　pass　over　this　station　in　about　sixty…five　minutes。〃　
　〃Sixty…five　minutes；〃　Schofield　said。　〃How　long　will　it　last？〃　
　Abby　shrugged。　'Ten　minutes。　Maybe　fifteen。　Long　enough　to　get　a　signal　through。〃　
　Schofield　bit　his　lip　as　he　took　all　of　this　in。　He　had　been　hoping　to　get　a　window　in　the　solar　flare　a　lot　sooner　than　that。　He　desperately　needed　to　get　in　contact　with　McMurdo　Station　to　tell　them　about　the　French　warship　that　was　sailing　off　the　coast　of　Antarctica　aiming　a　battery　of　missiles　at　Wilkes　Ice　Station。　
　He　asked；　〃Will　there　be　any　more　breaks　ing　over　the　station？〃　
　Abby　smiled。　〃I　thought　you'd　ask　that；　so　I　checked　it　out。　There　will　be　two　more　breaks　in　the　flare　after　the　first　one；　but　there's　a　long　wait　for　them。　OK。　The　time　is　now　2：46　p。m。　so　the　first　window　period　won't　be　until　3：51　P。M。；　sixty…five　minutes　from　now。　The　other　two　will　be　a　lot　later；　at　approximately　7：30　p。m。　and　10：00　p。m。　tonight。〃　
　Schofield　sighed。　This　wasn't　good　at　all。　
　〃Good　work；　Abby；〃　he　said。　〃Good　work。　Thank　you。　If　you　want　something　else　to　do；　I　was　hoping　you　might　like　to　man　the　radio　room　while　my　men　fix　your　antenna　outside。　Just　in　case　anything　es　through。〃　
　Abby　nodded。　〃I'd　like　that。〃　
　〃Good；〃　Schofield　said。　Abby　wanted　something　to　do；　needed　something　to　do。　The　events　of　the　previous　few　hours　had　hit　her　hard；　but　once　she　had　something　to　occupy　her；　she　seemed　to　be　OK。　
　Schofield　smiled　at　her　and　headed　for　the　rung…ladder。　
　
　Mother　was　sitting　on　the　floor　with　her　back　up　against　the　cold　ice　wall　when　Schofield　entered　the　storeroom　on　E…deck。　Her　eyes　were　closed。　She　appeared　to　be　sleeping。　
　〃Hey　there；〃　she　said；　without　opening　her　eyes。　
　Schofield　smiled　as　he　came　over　and　crouched　beside　her。　〃How　you　feeling？〃　he　asked。　
　Mother　still　didn't　open　her　eyes。　〃Methadone's　good。〃　
　Schofield　looked　down　at　what　was　left　of　Mother's　left　leg。　Book　had　bandaged　up　the　jagged　protrusion　at　her　knee　quite　well。　The　bandages；　however；　were　soaked　through　with　blood。　
　〃Guess　I　won't　be　playing　football　anymore；〃　Mother　said。　
　Schofield　looked　at　her　face；　and　he　saw　her　open　her　eyes。　
　〃That　fucking　fish　took　my　leg；〃　she　said　indignantly。　
　〃I　noticed。　Could　have　been　worse；　though。〃　
　〃Don't　I　know　it；〃　Mother　snorted。　
　Schofield　laughed。　
　Mother　looked　him　over　as　he　laughed。　〃Scarecrow。　Have　I　ever　told　you　that　you　are　one　damn　fine…lookin'　man？〃　
　Schofield　said；　〃I　think　that's　the　methadone　talking。〃　
　〃I　know　a　good　man　when　I　see　one；〃　Mother　said　as　she　leaned　back　against　the　wall　and　closed　her　eyes　slowly。　
　Schofield　spoke　softly。　〃I'm　not　certain　of　many　things；　Mother；　but　one　thing　I　am　certain　of　is　that　I　am　not　much　to　look　at。〃　
　Schofield　began　to　think　about　the　two　scars　that　cut　down　across　his　eyes　and　how　hideous　they　were。　People　instinctively　winced　when　they　saw　them。　When　he　was　back　home；　he　almost　always　wore　sunglasses。　
　As　he　thought　about　his　eyes；　Schofield　must　have　looked　away　from　Mother　for　an　instant；　because　when　he　looked　back　at　her　he　found　that　she　was　staring　at　him。　Her　eyes　were　hard　and　sharp；　not　glazed　or　drugged　out。　They　bored　right　through　his　reflective　silver　glasses。　
　〃Any　woman　who　won't　have　you　'cause　of　your　eyes　doesn't　deserve　you；　Scarecrow。〃　
　Schofield　said　nothing。　Mother　let　it　go。　
　〃All　right；　then；〃　she　said。　〃Now　that　we　got　all　these　pleasantries　out　of　the　way〃…she　raised　her　eyebrows　suggestively…〃what　brings　you　down　to　my　neck　of　these　woods？　I'm　hoping　it　wasn't　just　to　check　up　on　my　health。〃　
　〃It　wasn't。〃　
　〃Well。。。　？〃　
　〃Samurai's　dead。〃　
　〃What？〃　Mother　said　seriously。　〃They　told　me　he　was　stable。〃　
　〃He　was　murdered。〃　
　〃By　the　French？〃　
　〃No；　later。　Much　later。　The　French　were　all　dead　when　he　was　killed。〃　
　〃It　wasn't　one　of　their　scientists？〃　
　〃Accounted　for。〃　
　Mother　spoke　evenly。　〃One　of　our　scientists？〃　
　〃If　it　was；　I　can't　figure　out　why；〃　Schofield　said。　
　There　was　a　short　silence。　
　Then　Mother　said；　〃What　about　the　one　that　was　shut　up　in　his　room　when　we　got　here？　You　know；　what's…his…name。　Renshaw。〃　
　Schofield's　head　snapped　up。　
　He　had　pletely　forgotten　about　James　Renshaw。　Renshaw　was　the　scientist　Sarah　Hensleigh　had　said　had　killed　one　of　his　fellow　scientists　only　days　before　the　Marines　had　arrived　at　Wilkes。　He　was　the　man　the　residents　of　Wilkes　had　locked　inside　his　room　on　B…deck。　After　Samurai's　death；　Schoneld　hadn't　even　checked　to　see　if　Renshaw　was　still　in　his　room。　If　Renshaw　had　escaped；　then　maybe　he　had　。。。　
　〃Shit；　I　forgot　all　about　him；〃　Schofield　said。　He　quickly　eyed　his　helmet　mike。　〃Book；　Rebound；　Snake；　you　out　there？〃　
　〃Copy；　Scarecrow；〃　Snake's　voice　replied。　
　〃Snake；　I　need　someone　up　there　to　go　dow